Good Life (BP Rosé x Fem Reader)

1. May 2021

"And that's it, congratulations on your new apartment!" the real estate agent says as you mark the final stroke on the rental contract. The lack of furniture causes her voice to bounce from wall to wall, producing an echo. Daylight floods the apartment, but it won't be long until it's consumed by darkness, lit by nothing but pale moonlight.

You're hunched over the kitchen counter, carefully looking through each page again, the hangul characters blurring into incoherent boxes of text. You don't know how you would have survived the apartment hunt without your Korean colleagues painstakingly explaining each line of the rental agreement. They are literal lifesavers. You make a mental note to buy everyone a round of iced americano tomorrow.

When you finally look up, there's a genuine smile on your face. You extend both hands to receive the keys, bowing a few times. "Thank you, I'll take care of the place."

"Oh I'm sure, a nice responsible lady like yourself," the agent says as she's packing her papers, grateful to have closed this deal. You look away from her for a second, starting to take in the fact that this was now your apartment. Your mind runs with ideas of how to decorate the place.

Before she exits, she reminds you again, "You contact me if you want to meet my nephew, yah? He went to Seoul National University. Comes from a good family. I'm sure you'll hit it off."

"Thank you Mrs. Lee, I'll think about it."

"Don't forget about your biological clock. Soon, it'll be too late. And you need a husband to take care of you," she winks.

You gesture her out the door smiling, then immediately shake your head the moment the door closes. Oh, South Korea and your specific ideas on how I should live my life.

It's funny how data privacy works here. The moment Mrs. Lee read about your background in the lease application form, she had half the mind to give you a significant discount on the apartment if only you'd go out on a date with her nephew.

You brush it off then run to the kitchen counter, grab your phone and tap the camcorder icon beside your mum's name.

"Ommaaa, it's official!"

Your mum cheers as she gets a dizzying view of your empty apartment. The kitchen blurs into the hallway, into the living room, and into a large, bright window.

"Look at that view! You can see the park in the distance and a little bit of the water..."

You mime yourself sitting on your office chair opposite the bright window, typing away on your laptop. "I can work here... I can put the couch here... Beside my instruments here. TV over there... mini bar there, ah, I can't wait to make this place my own."

Your mum, ever the supportive one, smiles as you take her around your new apartment.

There's only so much you can show for now, so in a couple of minutes you're sitting with your back against the wall of your empty bedroom, looking out of your 20th floor view of Mangwon district.

Your window paints a picture of a vibrant Seoul in late spring - trees green and healthy, the sky a bright blue (which is rare, considering how much pollution there normally is).

"I'm getting better at remembering to use honorifics," you tell your mum. "But the culture shock is real... My Korean colleagues keep asking for my blood type, like why? Is blood donation a big thing here?" you roll your eyes.

"And everyone wears designer clothes. I feel pressured to dress a certain way." Your mum then launches into a speech about being confident in yourself and not letting others box you in.

"I'll try, but socially fitting in seems to be a big deal here... Anyway, it's still quite lonely. Between setting up the office and finding an apartment, I haven't found time to make friends. I have my HQ colleagues who moved to Seoul, but I want to meet new people. Locals. I said I'd get back in touch with my roots, and that won't happen if I only hang out with the team."

"Maybe I'll take up that offer from the real estate agent... She wants to set me up with her nephew, can you believe it? Says he went to Seoul National University," you laugh. "I thought that was just a kdrama line... 'Guess it's really a thing."

Your mum makes a face like that isn't the worst idea in the world, but she knows better than to try and force that upon you. Maybe if it was a niece instead of a nephew, you would have jumped on it , she thinks.

"Well, have you found a new church in the neighbourhood yet?" she asks. "Remember, that's how we found a community here all those years back. Maybe you'll make friends there."

"Yea, ma. Already found a couple churches to go to. I had mass in one of them yesterday when I was scouting the area. Seems promising. I met a girl named Ashley. She spoke English well. Probably studied abroad or something. Anyway, she was super friendly, so maybe I'll find friends there."